Animated toy device



Feb. 24, .1910

R. M. FERGUSON m- ANIIKTED TOY DEVICE Filed June 17, 1968 INVENTORS ROBERT M. FERGUSON CLAUDE C. FREEMAN LINDELL O. CARPENTER YBY W TTO RN EY United States Patent O 3,496,673 ANIMATED TOY DEVICE Robert M. Ferguson, Arlington, Claude C. Freeman, Mansfield, and Lindell 0. Carpenter, Dallas, Tex., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 17, 1968, Ser. No. 737,469 Int. Cl. A63h 7/00, 3/02, 3/20 US. Cl. 46-126 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An animated toy device is formed substantially from paperboard and comprises a substantially flat main body member, a plurality of limb members, means integral with the members for connecting the members to each other for accommodating relative rotational movement therebetween, and means for effecting the relative movement of the members. The means for connecting one member to another includes an arcuate opening in one member and a pair of tabs in the other member hinged to the other member adjacent each other with their ends remote from each other disposed to extend through the opening in said one member thereby providing a rotatable con nection between the members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to an animated toy device formed substantially of paperboard and, more particularly, to an animated toy device having means for effecting relative movement of individual members of the device.

The prior art Heretofore, toys formed substantially of paperboard were so constructed that, when an animated action was to be produced, only the entire toy could be moved rather than individual members thereof. The present invention overcomes this disadvantage and provides for an animated toy device wherein each individual member of the toy can be moved thus effecting a relative movement between the members. This accomplished by providing connecting means which connect one member to another so as to effect a rotatable connection between the members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, the animated toy device of the present invention is formed substantially of paperboard and comprises a main body member having various limb members connected thereto. The connecting means is formed integrally with the members for accommodating relative rotational movement therebetween and includes an armate opening in one member and a pair of tabs in the other member. The tabs are hinged to said other member adjacent each other with their free ends remote from each other and disposed to extend through the opening in the one member thereby providing rotational connection between the members so that individual members can be moved as desired to eitect animation.

DRAWING FIGURE 1 illustrates individual members of the toy device of the present invention, the members being partially cut in a blank of paperboard;

- FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the connecting means prior to connection of the members to each other;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view similar to that shown in FIGURE 2 but illustrating the connecting means after the individual members have been connected to each other; and

FIGURE 4 is a view of completely assembled toy of the present invention showing means for effecting the relative movement of individual members of the toy.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawing and will herein be described in detail, an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.

Referring now to the drawing, more particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown a portion of a paperboard blank 10 or the like. A main body member 12, representing the outline of torso and head of an animal, or the like, is defined in the paperboard blank 10 by interrupted cut lines 14. Interruptions, designated by numeral 16, retain the main body member 12 in the block 10. When it is desired to remove the body member from the blank, this can be easily accomplished by pushing the member 12 out of the blank thereby breaking the interruptions 16.

A plurality of other, or limb, members 18, such as replicas of legs of an animal, are presented in the blank 10 by cut lines 14 interrupted by short interruptions 16. While the interruptions 16 retain the limb members in the blank, their removal therefrom is easily accomplished by pushing the members out of the blank thereby breaking the interruptions 16.

The main body member 12 has a plurality of arcurate or round openings 20 which form part of means conmeeting the limb members 18 to the main body member. Each of the limb members has a pair of tabs 22 integrally formed therewith. Each pair of the tabs 22 is hinged to the limb member adjacent each other and substantially along a line 24. The free ends of the tabs 22 are situated remote from each other and are disposed to extend through one of the openings 20 in the main body member 12, as best seen in FIGURE 3, to provide a rotatable connection between the main body member 12 and the other, or limb, member 18 when the same are connected to each other.

As best seen in FIGURE 4, a substantially V-shaped holder 26, formed from paperboard or the like, is adapted to be held in the users hand. Each of the strings 28 has one end wrapped about and secured to the holder 26 while the opposite end is connected to a desired member of the animal figure heretofore described.

By operating the holder 26 in such a way that strings 28 are pulled in a vertical direction, an animated action of the animal figure is obtained. Relative rotational movement between limb members .18 and the main body member 12 is accomplished by provision of the pair of tabs 22 in each of the limb members extending through one of the openings 20 in the main body member 12.

We claim: 1. An animated toy device formed substantially of paperboard and comprising:

(a) a substantiallyflat main body member; (b) a plurality of substantially flat limb members; (c) means integral with said members connecting said members to each other for accommodating relative rotational movement therebetween; (d) means for effecting relative movement between said members; (e) said means connecting one member to another member comprising:

(i) an arcuate opening in one member;

(ii) a pair of tabs in said other member integrally formed therewith and hinged to said other member adjacent each other and having free ends remote from each other, said tabs extending through said opening in said one mem- 7 3 4 her to provide a rotatable connection between ends remote from each other, said tabs extendsaid members. ing through said opening in said main body 2. An animated toy device as defined in claim 1, member. wherein said means for effecting the relative movement of said members comprises at least one string attached 5 References Cited to a member to be manipulated by the users hand. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3. Am animated toy device formed of paperboard and 2 747 329 5/1956 Gruenewaelaer 46*126 XR comprising:

(a) a substantially flat main body member; g g gg (b) a plurality of substantially flat limb members; 10 3 2 3/1960 i 1: ii (0) means integral with said members connecting said 3195265 7/1965 fi; 2 46:126 XR limb members to said body member for accommodating relative rotational movement therebe- ANTONIO F. GUIDA Primary Examiner tween, comprlsing.

(i) an arcuate opening in said body member; 1 R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner (ii) a pair of tabs integrally formed with each of said limb members and foldably hinged thereto adjacent each other, said tabs having free 46-159, 161 

